DONNING THEIR athletic prowess throughout the 2025 Jesuit Athletic Meet (JAM), the Ateneo Blue Eagles asserted their dominance in the championship match against the Xavier University–Ateneo de Cagayan (XU) Crusaders in straight sets, 25-15, 25-10. The game was held earlier today at the Ateneo Senior High School Formation and Learning Center Building in Quezon City.
Team Captain Lance De Castro was named Finals Most Valuable Player, as his on-the-court communication and omnipresent floor defense steered the Blue Eagles to a sweep in this year’s JAM Men’s Volleyball Tournament.
The opening set saw the Blue Eagles dead set on copping the gold medal. Spearheaded by veterans Jian Salarzon and Kennedy Batas’ aggressive attack front, the early stages of the match were dictated by the Blue Eagles’ pace, 2-0.
In a display of brilliance, Batas owned the taraflex with his assertive and consecutive kills, 8-4. Together with Salarzon and Jetlee Gopio’s impressive showing, the collective extended their advantage to a nine-point lead, 17-8.
Circling in on the Blue Eagles’ dominance, XU challenged the Katipunan-based team through a combination play, 24-12. However, Karl Reyes proved crucial in the set’s backend as he claimed the set point for the Blue Eagles with a mis-receive from the opposition, 25-15.
Entering the second frame, the Blue Eagles continued their stellar play, with their tenacious hustle and floor defense led by skipper De Castro giving them an early 3-0 advantage. Not to be outdone, the talented duo of Brian Castro and Salarzon gave no rest to the Crusaders’ attack, dominating at the net to further bolster the formidable Ateneo defense.
The Katipunan-based unit maintained their strategy of attacking straight from the service, forcing the Crusaders to scramble and allowing for Batas to soar and deliver a towering spike to widen the Blue Eagle lead, 7-2.
Despite improved Crusader defense following a timeout, a designed double quick attack by Salarzon kept XU guessing, paving the way for rookie standout Castro to leave his mark. After a quick attack of his own, Castro sealed off the net for a monster block, bringing the Blue Eagles ever closer to the gold medal, 14-7.
Stymied in their attempts at the tape, the Crusaders’ attack stalled, enabling the Blue Eagles to take a 21-9 advantage following a combination play by Batas that put them four points away from sweeping the tournament.
Veteran Amil Pacinio ultimately delivered the final blow in the contest, with his off-the-block attack sailing out of bounds to bring the Blue Eagles a 25-10 set win and a spot on top of the podium.
When asked about winning the JAM title, De Castro quipped that he finally got his championship experience after many years, but emphasized the experience gained from the week-long tilt.
“It was a good experience. I’m very happy pa rin, and whether it’s big league or small, kailangan pa rin naming respetuhin tsaka seryosohin ‘yung mga ginagawa namin. So this championship experience, we’ll definitely bring it [with us in the] UAAP,” the captain-libero shared.
(It was a good experience. I’m still very happy, and whether it’s big league or small, we need to respect our opponents and take everything we’re doing seriously. So this championship experience, we’ll definitely bring it [with us in the] UAAP.)
The first-place finish is a step in the right direction for the Katipunan-based squad. With the UAAP Season 87 tournament fast approaching, the Blue Eagles are looking primed and ready to bring glory back to Katipunan.
Set scores: Ateneo-XU: 25-15, 25-10
